Many Of North Valley’s Dams Are Deemed High-Hazard

Everyone knows about the risk from Oroville Dam after the spillway crisis, but most of the dams in the north valley are considered to have a high-hazard potential. That means at least one person would likely die if the dam were to fail.New requirements for these high-risk dams, including annual inspections, will come into play if Gov. Jerry Brown signs the dam safety bill on his desk soon. The bill was unanimously approved by the Assembly on Feb. 12, the one-year anniversary of the Oroville Dam spillway evacuation. It was penned by Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City.